Improvement in railroad switches



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YRailroad Switches.

N0. 137,050, PatentedMarch 25,1873.

Witnesses. v Inventar. i fa/@wwf Wfww/Z, ,L i@

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GEORGE W. BILLINGS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN RAILROAD SWITCHES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 137,050, dated March v25, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEO. W. BILLINGs, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and Im- I proved Railway-Switch; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and complete description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing making part of the same. Figure 1 is a plan view ofthe switch. Fig. 2 is a side view. Fig. 3 is a `transverse section in direction of the line a' Iv. Figs. 4 and 5 are detached sections.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several views.

In the drawing, A represents the ties or l sleepers, on which are laid the rails B C. B are the rails of the main line, and C the rails composing the switch. The switch-rails C are pivoted at one end to the sleeper, whereas the opposite ends 'are free to move laterally between the rails B with which they co-operate. They are connected to each other by the bars D, and operated by the lever E, substantially in the usual way.

It is found in practice that the rails C are liable to break at or near the points b inl con- Y sequence ofthe great lateral strain exerted B are also quite liable to break at or near the joint c, or at the offset of the rails where the free ends of the switch-rails terminate.

To guard against this tendency of the rails to break I supplement each of the rails C with a bar, F, a detached view of which is shown in Fig. 5. Said bar is in shape an extended angle-iron, one side of which is bolted to the web of the rail, while the other lies upon the foot thereof, as shown in Fig. 3.

A rail thus re-enforced by the bar is much less liable to break, and. the necessity of boring holes in the foot of the rail for the insertion of the bolts used for attaching the links D is also avoided, as said links are secured to the re-enforcin g bar or rail F.

The main rails B are also re-enforced by side plates d, Fig. 2, a detached view of which is shown in Fig. 4. Said plates are fit-ted to the oiset or angle of the rail and bolted to the side, as shown in Fig. 2. By the application of said plates the rails are greatly strengthened, so that the switch is rendered safel and more durable than when constructed in the ordinary way.

Claims.

What I claim as my invention, and 'desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The re-enforcing bars orrails F, constructed as described, in combination with the rails C, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In combination with the rails B the re-enforcing side plates d, constructed as described, and for the purpose specified.

GEORGE W. BILLINGS.

Witnesses:

JOHN H. BURRIDGE, A. F. CORNELL. 

